Asian-American intellectuals were previously more concerned with racist portrayals of Asians in cartoons and their second-class status as immigrants in the 20th century. Now, their focus has shifted to Asian-Americans’ contributions to American culture. The fourth annual Asian-American Studies Undergraduate Symposium presented undergraduate Asian-American research yesterday at Murray Hall on the College Avenue campus.

Jon Scott learned how to read at the age of 10. At 11, he learned the entire multiplication table in four hours. Scott is a former resident of the Stelton Colony, also called the Ferrer Colony, an anarchist intentional community that was once located just off of the current Livingston campus.

Rutgers’ integration with the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has sparked growing interest in health and heath-related issues. The term “health” has come to mean something much more than its traditionally narrow biomedical interpretations.

From left to right: Alfred Bullow and Steve Shapiro, former residents of Stelton Colony, spoke at “Anarchism and Education in New Jersey: The Legacy of the Modern School of Stelton” yesterday at the Alexander Library.

Student-run “Spring into Service” gave students the opportunity to work for the betterment of the Rutgers community. One hundred students donned in red shirts congregated in the Student Activities Center on the College Avenue campus on Saturday to take part in the service event. The event focuses on giving back to New Brunswick, said Kayla Tlatelpa, a School of Arts and Sciences senior.

Student-run “Spring into Service” gave students the opportunity to work for the betterment of the Rutgers community. One hundred students donned in red shirts congregated in the Student Activities Center on the College Avenue campus on Saturday to take part in the service event.

The biggest health issue for younger generations is not the size of their hearts, but the girth of their stomachs, said George Rhoads, the interim dean at the Rutgers School of Public Health. Rhoads was the keynote speaker at the 19th annual Public Health Symposium, “Public GPS: Moving in New Directions,” held yesterday at Great Hall on Busch campus.

Lauren Feldman believes the partisan divide on climate change is increasing and attributes it to the polarization of media in America. The Department of Human Ecology hosted an event on the issue of climate change Wednesday in a seminar at Blake Hall on Cook campus. The seminar was titled “Public Polarization on Climate Change: The Role of Partisan Media.”

The beautiful and mountainous Swat district of Pakistan hides an area of conflict just beyond its tranquil landscape. The Center for Women’s Global Leadership invited Saba Gul Khattak to speak about her study of the Taliban and the Pakistani military occupation of Swat at “Between the Taliban and the Army: Women, Security and Militarization in Pakistan’s Swat Valley,” said Lucy Vidal, the organization’s information and communication director.

Saba Gul Khattak, a member of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, spoke about her study of the Taliban and the Pakistani military occupation of Swat at the Ruth Dill Johnson Crockett Building on Douglass campus.

Since Stephen Whitty was a child, he always thought he would end up writing his own stories or movies. He ended up combining both his interests, eventually landing a position as a film critic for The Star-Ledger and nj.com.Whitty spoke yesterday at his lecture “Forbidden Words: Taboo Texts in Popular Literature and Cinema” at the Alexander Library on the College Avenue campus.

Six finalists gathered in the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus last night to present proposals in hopes of winning $1,000. The Changemaker Challenge is an initiative as part of Changemakers Week, which showcases social businesses and entrepreneurs. The week was meant to inspire students to make the change they wish to see in the world, said Jennifer Lee, a Rutgers Business School junior.